Former amateur champion Stephen Dodd is just one shot off the lead at the halfway stage of the North West of Ireland Open.
Dodd carded a second-round 68 for a nine-under-par total of 135 at Slieve Russell Golf and Country Club, a stroke behind Germany's Tobias Dier.
Holland's Robert Jan Derksen was in third on eight under par with England's James Hepworth, Wales' Mark Pilkington, Spain's Jesus Maria Arruti and Swede Mattias Eliasson all a further shot back.
Dodd began the day two shots off the lead after a first-round 67 but the Welshman needed just eight holes to wipe out that deficit and move into the lead with five birdies in quick succession.
Starting on the 10th the 35-year-old, amateur champion in 1989 and a member of the victorious Walker Cup team the same year, birdied his opening hole and after a bogey on the next, bounced straight back with another birdie on the 12th.
A third birdie in four holes immediately followed on the next and two more at the 16th and 17th took Dodd out in 32 while two further birdies on the inward nine were cancelled out by two dropped shots.
Dodd has struggled to match his achievements as an amateur since turning professional in 1990 after playing in the US Masters alongside Sandy Lyle and US Ryder Cup captain Ben Crenshaw that year.
He needed to make a fifth trip to the qualifying school last year to earn his card and still needs a few good results to avoid making it number six in November.
"Getting the card is the aim every week," admitted Dodd who lies 124th on the Order of Merit with a best finish of joint third in Madeira to his name this season.
"I feel like I have improved every year even though the results might not have shown that.
"And that's what keeps me going, I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't think I could make the break-through."
Dier meanwhile continued his love affair with the layout over which he jointly holds the course record after a 65 in the third round last year. -PA